Microsoft, others, support same-sex marriage

Microsoft Corp. is among several prominent businesses publicly supporting a measure to legalize same-sex marriage in Washington state.

In a blog posting Thursday, Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith says that passage of the bill would "be good for our business and good for the state's economy."

Smith, who is also executive vice president of Microsoft, says that a diverse workforce is necessary for business success.

He writes that as other states, like New York, approve same-sex marriage, the state's employers are "at a disadvantage if we cannot offer a similar, inclusive environment to our talented employees, our top recruits and their families."

In addition to Smith, officials from Concur, Group Health, Nike, RealNetworks and Vulcan Inc. sent Gov. Chris Gregoire a letter Thursday expressing their support.